Copyright © 2003 Julie Elizabeth Leto
One of the best ways to learn is by doing. And what is that saying… {blank} is the mother of invention? I always have to look it up because the word “desperation” always pops in first. I know for me, that was the case. Okay, the real word is “necessity.” Necessity, desperation…same difference.
I fell into the technique of layering purely out of desperation. I’d just sold my first book. I was working full time as a receptionist/secretary for my family’s manufacturing business. My “office” was a desk in the middle of everything…no walls, no privacy…and I was pregnant. Oh, and I was on deadline for my second book, also just purchased. My deadline was December 15th and my daughter was due on December 27th.
I believe I’d started this book in September. Now, 3-1/2 months to write a book might seem like a lot of time…and seeing that I just completed a deadline where I had less than two months to complete a 305 page manuscript, I’d tend to agree. But 3-1/2 months isn’t much time when you’re working, nauseated and exhausted.
I was writing during lunch only. I couldn’t manage early mornings (not a morning person…never have been, never will be) and though I did work at night, I was often so tired I could do little more than edit. The weekends helped, but I couldn’t depend on those to write a whole book. There were cribs to be bought, rooms to be decorated. Names to be picked!
So I had to take a stand. No one was going to write that book but me, and no one was going to carve the time out for me either.
The first thing I did was stake a claim on my brother’s office during lunchtime. (Most people wisely don’t argue with pregnant Italian women.) I had 45 minutes for lunch, not including the 5 minutes it took me to nuke my lunch in the microwave. I left STRICT instructions to not be disturbed by anyone except my editor on the phone. It helped that I wasn’t at my own desk…and that my father owns the company.
Then I’d start to write. Sometimes, the words flowed in balanced beauty…dialogue, action, reaction, emotion, body language…everything all there and working their magic. Then about five minutes before my time was up, I’d notice and the flow would stop. I only had five minutes. I was “OUT” of the zone…that wonderful place where writers go to create magic. Now what should I do? I had five minutes! I couldn’t quit! Besides, I’d promised myself five pages a day and I’d learned that in about 35 minutes, all I could do was 3 to 3-1/2 pages…AT BEST.
So in five minutes, I learned to layer.
Layering is writing in pieces. Some people suggest that you write scenes out of order, write the ones that are most compelling and then fill in the others later. The problem with this is that if you do that, your writing can become episodic. The scenes may not have that flow—that connection—that makes the storytelling seamless. I don’t advocate that technique, though I do know it works well for some folks.
(Sidenote…I found myself doing this on my last book because of a nifty new invention I’m going to tell you about later. BUT…I don’t write more than a scene or two ahead. More on that later)
So here’s my disclaimer. My version of layering may not work for you. I’m only telling you how it works for me and for other writers I’ve spoken with.
I tried looking up this technique in my books, but I couldn’t find it. So I’m flying by the seat of my pants, here. Story of my life!
As I said, Layering is writing in pieces. Let’s talk now about the pieces themselves. I’ve put them in the order I am comfortable with, but feel free to move them around to suit your own strengths.
The first is DIALOGUE.
Dialogue is first because it comes easiest to me. I can always hear the characters talking in my head. The more I write, the more distinct their voices become and sooner or later, they’re talking faster than I can write.
Also, readers like dialogue. While dialogue comes easiest, it isn’t my favorite thing. I LOVE description. I’m a description junkie. Dialogue is my way of finding balance. And I’ve found that dialogue and description should be used in a 3 to 1 or even 4 to 1 ratio. Not in every scene, but overall. Look at all the television shows the critics and audiences rave over…Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, West Wing. The dialogue drives those shows. So, I do dialogue first, to make sure I don’t forget it!
Second is SETTING.
When and where. Very simple, but used well, it can become more complex and can influence what is happening, when and what is being said by whom and how. If your characters are having a conversation in the hallway of a crowded restaurant, it will change what they say and do. If they are isolated, again…everything changes.
Third is ACTION.
Action is movement. It’s the gestures the characters make, the steps they take, the places they go, the touches they exchange. It’s the physical aspect of the writing, what keeps the characters from being nothing more than talking heads.
Fourth is REACTION
From the viewpoint character, reaction comes in the form of internal thought, internal dialogue, more dialogue, and ultimately EMOTION. From the non-viewpoint character, reaction comes in body language, more dialogue and more action. But whatever the scene is about, characters must REACT to each other. INTERACT. And the stakes must be raised higher at each turn.
This also includes backstory. You should only mention backstory as a reaction to something that has happened in the here and now. This a great rule of thumb. Backstory is best served as reaction to current, compelling action. And then it should be brief. If the backstory is just as long or longer than the scene, you’ve done too much.
Last is SENSUALITY & DESCRIPTION.
This is where you can turn up the heat of the sexual tension, where you can add those special touches that make the scene come to life…the smells, tastes, sounds, odors and textures of the world the characters are in. For me, while I love this part, it is the hardest. I love words and finding the right word becomes obsessive for me sometimes.
So generally, I save this for last
Also, I try not to add my description until last because I tend to over do it. By keeping it last, I already know how much more needs to be said…and how much has already been said in other ways (like through dialogue or action.) I usually also know how long the scene is or how many pages I have left in that particular chapter.
Now, you’ll notice that some aspects of writing aren’t mentioned here. Like Plot or Characterization or Conflict…pretty much the three most important elements of storytelling. That’s because you absolutely, positively must know, in some form or another, what these three things are before you start to write in layers.
The good thing is, you don’t have to know all that much about them.
But writing in layers does demand some preparation on your part. But once you have a basic, even sketchy outline of the plot (including an idea of where the scene you’re about to write is SUPPOSED to go), who your characters are (PERSONALITY) and their conflicts (INTERNAL and EXTERNAL) you can now start working in layers.
Here is an example from my first Blaze, EXPOSED. Notice that I usually don’t start with just dialogue, but dialogue with a little bit of action or other stuff…just to keep things straight.
SKELETON (FIRST LAYER) from EXPOSED
“Hey, Max? You all right?”
Cautiously, she walked directly in his line of vision.
“Yeah. I’m great.”
He blinked. Once. Then twice.
“No, you’re not.”
She glanced down at his drink again. He’d sipped maybe a quarter of the concoction and though her mixture was potent, she’d never seen anyone get drunk on just one.
“What did you drink tonight?”
“What? Oh,” he glanced down at his drink. “You made me this.”
“No, I mean before. At dinner?”
He squinted as he thought. Remembering took more effort than it should have.
“Max, what did you drink at dinner?” she asked once more, losing her patience with the same speed as her attraction.
“Tea,” he answered finally, nodding as the memory became clearer and clearer. “We had tea.”
“Long Island Iced Teas?”
“Great…just…”
“No, iced tea. Unsweetened. With lemon.”
Now here is the scene after I took the time to flesh it out. Notice that it’s not perfect…just better.
“Hey, Max? You all right?”
Cautiously, she walked directly in his line of vision. There was a distinct pause before his eyes focused on her.
“Yeah. I’m great.”
He blinked. Once. Then twice. Dizzy, he swayed on his barstool.
She shot forward and grabbed his hand. “No, you’re not.”
She glanced down at his drink again. He’d sipped maybe a quarter of the concoction and though her mixture was potent, she’d never seen anyone get drunk on just one. Maybe a little silly, but not spacey and ready to pass out.
“What did you drink tonight?”
She remembered clearing away a half-empty beer, but she had no idea what he’d had before she returned from her appointment with the architect.
She waited for him to answer and when he didn’t, she asked again.
“What? Oh,” he glanced down at his drink. “You made me this.”
“No, I mean before. At dinner?”
He squinted as he thought. Remembering took more effort than it should have. He was drunk. Ariana rolled her eyes. Great. Just great! I finally decided to have an affair with a guy and he’s three sheets to the wind. She recalled the distinctly unforgettable experience of making love to her husband when he’d had more than his share of Tequila after a gig in the Castro. Not an experience she’d ever want to repeat.
“Max, what did you drink at dinner?” she asked once more, losing her patience with the same speed as her attraction.
“Tea,” he answered finally, nodding as the memory became clearer and clearer. “We had tea.”
“Long Island Iced Teas?”
Ariana hated that drink. She’d seen more than her share of inexperienced drinkers get sloshed thanks to the innocent sounding name. Too bad there wasn’t a drop of tea in the thing. Just vodka, gin, tequila, rum, Collins mix and an ounce of cola for color.
“Great…just…”
“No, iced tea. Unsweetened. With lemon.”
As the truth of his claim registered, she stepped up on the lower shelf behind the bar again to look directly into his eyes. His pupils were huge—and passion had nothing to do with it. He was sweating more than he should have been. His jaw was slightly lax.
The most important thing for you to notice is that the scene is LONGER. And I’ll guarantee that while I was fleshing out that scene, I moved quickly. It’s like tidying up the house AFTER the housekeeper has already done the big stuff. As opposed to doing the whole cleanup job yourself in one shot. I know which one is easier!! Which leads me to three things I want you to write down and post over your computer:
The first is:
and my personal favorite:
Layering requires trust in your abilities to edit…I understand that. But when I started working with this technique, I had no trust. I’d only successfully sold one book. You learn to trust by trying and learning, by throwing away all those rules that have been drilled into you through craft seminars and classes—until the time for the rules comes—in the editing stage. No one writes a perfect first draft…I don’t care what anyone claims. I don’t believe them!
Last thoughts…
We, as Americans, love to multi-task and in my opinion, writing is the hardest multi-tasking endeavor on the planet. By breaking it into layers, you can streamline your focus during those times when life is intruding in a big, big way.
It’s hard to revise a blank page and it’s even harder to create from a blank page each and every day. That’s why, if life is kind to me and I don’t have to resort to layering to get my pages done, I always do the dialogue for the next scene or the next group of pages at the end of my writing time. Just a few lines maybe. No fewer than five. Then I have something to work with when I face the computer the next day.
